Receptacles for automobiles and the like



May 24, 1960 A. G. GOLDBERG 2,937,843

RECEPTACLES FOR AUTOMOBILES AND THE LIKE Filed April 7, 195a INVENTOR.

/5' F1 ABRA G. GOLDBER G 2,937,843 RECEPTACLES FOR AUTOMOBILES AND THELIKE Abraham G. Goldberg, 11 Bellingham Road, Chestnut Hill 67, Mass.

Filed Apr. 7, 1958, Ser. No. 726,935

2 Claims. (Cl. 248-359) This invention is concerned with receptaclesthat are to be hung from dashboards in automobiles, clotheslines, andfrom other similartype objects, as well as receptacles which may be usedas a desk basket or letterbox or silent butler or clothespin holder.

The particular receptacle described herein has been especially inventedfor use with an automobile and is arranged to be hung from theautomobile dashboard, although as already mentioned, it may well beutilized with other objects.

On most public highways and on city streets there are ordinances andlaws which require that people do not throw refuse and waste materialfrom a moving motor vehicle upon the public way. Accordingly therehasbeen the need for some type of litter box or receptacle that can beutilized in the motor vehicle and which can be quickly installed andremoved therefrom.

It is therefore an object of the within invention to provide areceptacle having a novel type holding means which may be locked intoposition and unlocked from that position.

It is another object of the within invention to provide a receptaclehaving a holding bracket for supporting the receptacle from a narrowtype ledge, such as the flange or lip of the instrument board of a motorvehicle.

It is still another object of the within invention to provide areceptacle that has a holding means which may be adjustable for thepurpose of both packing the receptacle in shipment and for utilizing thereceptacle for other purposes, other than use with an automobile.

It is yet another object to provide a simple locking means for theholding means whereby the holding means and the locking means may beused for the purpose of holding letters, pencils and the like when thereceptacle is used as a desk basket or the like.

These and other objects are obtained by the use of a hinged bracketattached to a point on the receptacle whereby the center of gravity ofthe receptacle is maintained in equilibrium 'from the point ofsuspension on the bracket. mounted upon the retaining lip of the holdingmeans. The spring clip is under tension and at all times rests againstthe contacting portion of the holding means.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference is made to thefollowing detailed description, in which:

Figure l is a top plan view of the receptacle and the holding meansassembly.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the receptacle and the holdingmeans assembly, looking up from the bottom of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the receptacleand holding means assembly, showing a pencil in dotted lines insertedwithin the holding means assembly.

Figure 4 is a side view illustrating a method by which the receptacle isheld on the dashboard of an automobile.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the holding means as sembly, showing thelocking clip in dotted lines, in part.

The locking device is a spring clip which is.

- dotted lines.

The receptacle, which may be any small type of waste basket, in thisinstance an eliptical shaped, three dimensional container, is designatedby the numeral 1. At the middle portion in the upper area is mounted abracket or holding means. This bracket, or holding means, comprises theretaining lip 2 and the short extension 3, which is connected to the lip2. Attached to the short extension 3 is the arm 4. The arm 4 has twoextensions 10, which are wrapped around at the ends, enabling a pin 14to pass therethrough. The extensions 10 form an inlet or recess in whichthe extension 9 fits. The extension 9 protrudes from the mountingbracket, horizontal member 5, so as to form a hinge. Mounted above theextension 9 on a rivet 17 is a spring lip 15, which is slightly longerthan the distance between the rivet 17 and the lip 2. This spring member15 has tension and is always in contact with the lip 2 except whenthe'device is in engagement with the dashboard of a motor vehicle, aswill be hereinafter mentioned, and as can be seen in the view of Figure4.

- The mounting bracket, horizontal member 5, is integral with thevertical member 6 of the bracket. The member 6 is stapled to thereceptacle 1, but it may be bolted or welded, as indicated at the point8. The pin 14, with the extensions 9 and 10, forms the hinge, as alreadymentioned, indicated in the drawings by the numeral 7. The hinge 7enables the Lmember, comprising the retaining lip 2, the short extension3, and the arms 4, to be adjusted along the dotted lines, as indicatedin Figure 2. That is to say that it may be located downwardly into thecontainer 1. The hinge 7 does not allow the L member, comprising the arm4, the short extension 3, and the retaining lip 2, to move in anydirection other than that shown by the The reason for this is that thebends at 9 and 10 which surround the pin 14 bind with each other at theposition shown in Figure 2, preventing the aforesaid L member -fromgoing counterclockwise, other than in the path shown by the dotted linesin Figure 2.

The fact that the L shaped member may be moved downwardly into thecontainer 1 is' quite important in packing and shipping the item frommanufacturer to consumer. This feature is also important in that thecontainer may be used for other purposes, such as holding objects, whileon a desk or table, in which, in many instances, the bracket might notbe desired to be used. It is to be noted that in Figure 3 a pencil isdrawn in dotted lines and is located in between the spring member 15 andthe arm 4. In other words, if this receptacle 1 is desired to be used asa desk holder for papers and the like, it may well be used to hold apencil or the like.

These features enable the container to be used efiectively andefficiently both when it is desired to suspend it or to have it restupon a flat surface.

Figure 4 shows the container receptacle 1 in a suspended position fromthe typical dashboard of a motor vehicle. The dashboard 11 is shown in across section arrangement. The retaining lip 2 hangs from the end flange13 of the dashboard; Because of the fact that the bracket is not. in thegeometrical center of the receptacle, the portion shown on the righthand side of Figure 4 will hang lower than the portion shown on the lefthand side of this figure. The motion of the motor vehicle will of coursemake the receptacle sway back and forth on the hinge 7. However, asstated before, the hinge 7 is so constructed that the members 4 and 5bind with each other preventing it from moving backward. Further, thespring member 15 locks the flange 13 of the dashboard between the arm 4and itself. Accordingly, the only motion of the receptacle 1 isrestricted within the limits of the dotted line shown on Figure 2.Further, no jarring of the motor vehicle will aflect the arrangementbecause of the locking idea caused by the spring member 15. It isfurther to be pointed out that any motion, whether it is a swingingmotion or a jostling motion will not be bothersome, in view of the factthat there will, in most instances, be some weight or mass in thereceptacle while it is in use, causing it to have a center of gravityand thereby giving it a certain amount of equilibrium.

It is a simple matter to disconnect the receptacle from the dashboardfor the purpose of emptying it or filling it, as the case may be. It isonly necessary that the user pull the spring member 15 away and lift upon the rear portion of the receptacle, pulling the device down from thedashboard or instrument panel in order to remove it. In hanging it backon the dashboard, it is only necessary to reverse this latter procedure.

Dimensions in the drawing have been exaggerated to teach the inventionherein disclosed more clearly.

It is contemplated that certain mechanical equivalents can be used andit is to be understood that this is but one embodiment of the invention.

I claim:

1. A container-receptacle having a bracket mounted therein, said brackethaving a fixed portion extending towards the middle of the containerreceptacle, a hinge means at the end of said fixed portion, an L-shapedextension fastened to said hinge means, said extension having aretaining lip and a spring member means for securing said spring memberto the lower portion of said L-shaped extension proximate said hingemeans, whereby said spring member is adapted for locking connection withautomobile instrument panels and the like.

2. A container-receptacle having a bracket mounted therein, said brackethaving a fixed portion extending towards the middle of thecontainer-receptacle, said fixed portion being about level with the topof the containerreceptacle, means for permanently securing said fixedportion of a side of said container receptacle, a hinge means mounted atthe end of said fixed portion, an L-shaped extension fastened to saidhinge means, blocking means in said hinge means, whereby said L-shapedmember is prevented from moving on said hinge means in a position closerthan a right angle to said fixed portion, said extension having at itsfurthest end from said hinge means a retaining lip and spring membe e nor securing said spring member to the upper portion of said L-shapedmember proximate said hinge means, whereby said spring member is adaptedfor locking connection with automobile instrument panels and the like.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,061,805 Beach May 13, 1913 1,513,258 Manz Oct. 28, 1924 1,677,592Lloyd July 17, 1928 1,738,260 Nusser Dec. 3, 1929 2,379,896 FitzgeraldJuly 10, 1945 2,628,054 Fazakerley Feb. 10, 1953 2,726,837 Jameson Dec.13, 1955

